Before they were Grell and Sebastian
by iiNeaPoliTan
Summary: Louie sells his soul to save the life of Nikki, the one he loves but at the cost of his humanity. "Don't forget I love you, even if I do," he said. "I promise,"Nikki replied. Just a small story of Grell and Sebastian before they became a reaper and a demon.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters.**

**And just for clarification:**

**Nicholas is Grell.**

**Louie is Sebastian.**

**And since this is my first Kuro fic, I hope I do the characters some sort of justice and they don't turn out too OOC.**

…

If you were to ask him how he met Nikki, he could answer that question in a heartbeat.

He was eleven years old, without a home, without food, without a family. He had been walking down the small streets of London. The snow was falling, tainting the world with white. He tread his way through the white sheet, the only proof that he was moving and had not yet frozen to death were the still fresh blood stained footprints in the ground.

But what did he have to go to? He had no one; he had nothing. Still, he kept walking. Maybe he could find shelter under a bridge.

Still, the snow kept falling, embracing him, welcoming him, telling him to stop, to give up, to enter death. No one would care anyway.

…

He was embraced by a glowing warmth.

_Is this death?_

It had to be. He had never felt this…at peace.

There was a soft giggle. _An angel has come to greet me._ "I'm glad you're waking up," said the voice; happy, sweet, "I thought you were going to die!"

He opened his eyes and took in his surroundings; a small hut. Outside, the wind and snow blew mercilessly. His petite body was in a small bed, wrapped around a thin red blanket. There was a small fire in the center of the room, giving the small room a red-orange glow.

He looked at the person whom was talking to him. It was a boy younger than him with beautiful brown hair, the most unique green eyes and a big smile plastered on his lips.

"Are you an angel?" that was all he could think of. Yes, he died and this was an angel.

The boy just smiled wider. "No silly. I'm Nicholas. And you are?"

"Nicholas." He repeated to himself. _So I'm not dead. _"My name is Louie."

"Nice to meet you Louie." He extended his hand to the older boy, which he took in a gentle shake.

"Did you-?"

"Save you? Of course!" he handed Louie a small mug with what appeared to be warm milk. "I don't have much, I don't have anything really, but you are welcome to stay. Sometimes, the elders of the village give me food and drink, and I do small chores for them."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I saw you walking down the streets and said to myself: 'Self, go help him' so I did."

"Thank you."

Nicholas just smiled and nodded.

…

Since then, he and Nikki were always together. While Nikki was loud and hyper, Louie was quiet and calm, but even so, they were the best of friends.

Maybe it had been that they were inseparable, or maybe it had been that they felt dependent on each other, but as the years had gone by, both boys felt a bond stronger than friendship between them.

But while Nikki was open with his emotions and could easily say _I love you_ to his best friend, Louie was more conservative with his emotions and told himself time and time again that his _love_ for Nikki was nothing more than a deep gratification and the purest of friendships.

Louie would never admit to anyone that he was, indeed, in love with Nikki, but today everything was different. Today, Nikki wasn't going to survive, and as much as Louie tried to tell himself otherwise, he knew it in his heart, that Nikki would finally sleep forever.

Nikki had always been sensitive to the extreme weathers. His little body, despite its twenty-one years of age, was no match for the harsh winters of London. And no matter how much Louie worked, he could never afford the medicines to help his friend.

He kneeled next to the small bed, placing a damp cloth on Nikki's forehead in a pitiful attempt to reduce his fever. Nikki wouldn't stop shivering. His body was burning up and all Louie could do was watch as his best friend, as the love of his life literally boiled away.

"S-ss-so c-cc-cco-old L-llouiie."

"Shh. Please don't talk Nikki." He said, holding the other boys trembling hand in his own. "Save you energy." He planted a small kiss on his wrist.

"I- Im gg-goin tt-to dd-die, L-louie." There was a sad smile painted on his lips.

"Don't say that!" Louie clutched the hand tighter. "You will make it, Nikki! You always do!"

"Hmm…" Nikki shook his head weakly. "N-not t-ttthis tiii-me."

"Yes you will! Do you hear me?" Louie lost it. He buried his face onto Nikki's trembling chest and sobbed loudly and painfully.

"I… I lo-love y-yyou, L-lou-iie." Nikki placed a shaky hand on his friend's thick black locks.

"I love you too, Nikki. More than anything! I love you so much!" He finally admitted as he hugged his dying friend desperately.

"Heh. I.. I kn-eew it." And Nikki went silent.

"Nikki. Nikki!" Louie began shaking his friend. "Wake up! Wake up dammit!" But Nikkie wouldn't move. "Don't die…. Nikki, I love you…"

Suddenly, the door open and the small fire went out. The room instantly grew cold, but Louie didn't care.

"He's still alive you know? The fever just knocked him out. But, if you don't do something soon, he will be dead in a few minutes."

Louie's head shot up. At the entrance of the small hut was a beautiful woman. Her skin a light brown color and her hair as white as the snow.

Not knowing what to do, Louie jumped onto the bed and clutched Nikki to his chest protectively.

"Who are you? Get out!" He screamed at the woman. There was something not right with this woman.

"Really now? I come here from the depths of hell to offer you my assistance, and you want to throw me out?" She asked with feigned hurt.

"I said leave!"

"Fine. I'll leave. I was going to save your friend there, but I guess I should go." She slowly turned around to face the door and took a small step out.

"Wait!"

The woman stopped, a triumphant smirk on her purple painted lips.

"Yes?"

Louie looked down at Nikki. "You can save him?" The woman nodded. "What are you?"

The woman turned around. "I think you know what I am, Louie."

"…a demon?" the woman smiled at him gently.

"Yes."

"Will you save him?" Louie asked hopeful.

"Of course I _can. _But I won't."

"But you just said-"

"I won't do it for free." She said as she walked towards the two.

"I don't have any money."

At this, the woman began to giggle. "I don't want money, child. I want-" her purple eyes grew red, "-your company, until I get tired of you, that is."

"What do you mean?"

"Must you really answer questions you already know the answer too, Louie?"

Louie remained silent. Him for Nikki. Could he do it?

"Well, maybe I should explain a bit," the demon interrupted his thoughts. "I can't just make him live on time that isn't his, _but_, I _can_ let him borrow the lifespan that would have been yours." She paused.

"And?"

The demon smiled gently. "If you accept, I'll let you say your goodbyes, but once you are mine, your humanity will slip away. That means... all memories of your past, even of your beloved Nikki, will be gone."

"Forget about Nikki?"

"It's better for him to die, don't you think? He's so young, so beautiful, so much life still left in him."

Louie thought of this. Save Nikki and forget about him in the process? He wouldn't remember his best friend, the love of his life?

"I accept."

…

Louie was kneeled next to the bed when Nikki started stirring himself awake. He was groaning weakly as the sun peaked its rays through the window.

"Good morning, Nikki."

"Hmm?" Nikki yawned. "Morning, Louie." He blinked his eyes open and turned to look at the handsome face of his best friend greeting him awake with a beautiful smile.

Nikki let out a small gasp. "Louie! Your eyes! They're red!" he said as he picked himself up from the bed.

"Are they?" Louie asked indifferently. "Nah. You're probably seeing weird because of the fever."

At this, Nikki blushed. "I thought I wasn't going to make it… it's a miracle that I'm alive, is it not?"

"A miracle?" It seemed ironic to Louie for his friend to describe his being alive as a 'miracle'. "I guess it is." He answered with a chuckle.

Nikki fiddled with his hands before looking back at Louie. "What you said last night… did you mean it, or where you just-"

Whatever question Nikki had wanted to ask was silenced by Louie's lips. The kiss was soft, delicate, slow, almost shy, but it was perfect.

"I love you, Nikki." Louie said breaking the kiss and tucking strands of brown hair behind Nikki's ear.

Nikki wrapped his arms around his friend's neck and whispered to his ear, "I love you, Louie."

Louie smiled as they separated. "You should get more rest, Nikki. Just because the fever is gone doesn't mean you are healed."

"Hmm… okay." Nikki pouted as he lowered himself onto the blanket and drifted to sleep.

"Time to go, _dear._" came the voice of the demon.

Louie's eyes glowed red before he answered, "Yes." He walked to the door. With his hand on the knob, he turned around and said to a sleeping Nikki, "I love you. Please remember that and ever forget, even if I do."

As if he had heard, Nikki stirred in his sleep and answered, "I promise, Louie."

…

He giggled as he watched the child's cinematic record.

"Suicide due to a broken heart, hmm? Such a waste."

He brushed his silver hair out of his eyes as he stared at the cause the boy's suicide. A tall, lean man with hair as black as night and eyes red as blood.

"Ehehehehe. No wonder his name disappeared from my ledger last week and reappeared for today. Ahh~ silly, Louie. The demon played you. Didn't you realize that you yourself didn't have long to live? Ehehehehe. It was written that you were to die of suicide exactly a week after this boy's original time of death."

He continued to stare as the last bit of the cinematic record played.

"_I promise, Louie."_

"Oh my… Ehehehehe." His eyes widened in surprise. "So… this young soul is destined to be a god of death huh? My, my. What a turn of events this is. Looks like this story is just beginning. Eheheheheh."

…

"Grell! Leave the manor at once!" Sebastian had been chasing the damned reaper for ten minutes now. _Master will be upset that dinner is late._

"Oh Bassy! Don't you know that my body gets all riled up and heated when you chase me with such ferocity?" Grell wiggled as he once again dodged silverware.

"Stop saying such grotesque things and leave before I am ordered to kill you!"

"Bassy! Stop playing hard to get. I know you love me, because I know I love you." Grell shouted back blowing said man a kiss.

"Grell!" Sebastian threw his last knife just barely missing the redhead as he jumped over the fence out of Phantomhive property.

Grell landed gracefully on his feet and sighed with happiness.

"Ehehehehe. Bothering Mr. Butler, are we pretty lady?" Undertaker asked as he came around the corner causing Grell to jump in surprise.

"Undertaker! What the hell? Don't sneak up on a lady!" Grell pouted. "And I'm not bothering Bassy."

"Oh?" the silver haired man asked with a giggle.

"Yeah! Bassy enjoys spending time with me, even if he won't admit it."

"How do you know this, my lady?" he giggled again.

"I love him, that's how I know."

"Ehehehehehe."

"Well, I have to go. Will is probably looking for me to kill me." Grell sighed in frustration. "I haven't done any paperwork in weeks."

Grell ran off leaving a chucking Undertaker behind.

"Oh yes. Ehehehehe. This story is only just beginning."

**Please review. SebastianxGrell is becoming my new OTP and I plan on featuring them in upcoming stories, but I want to know if I'm doing them some sort of justice.**

**I also want to know what you think of my story. :d**


	2. Chapter 2

**I wasn't going to continue this story, but I thought **_**ehh? Why not?**_** Might as well give Sebas-chan to Grell and satisfy myself as a fangirl. Yey! For SebastianxGrell.**

**The necklace in this story is a reference to Saint Seiya. For those not familiar with that anime, this necklace was given to a baby named Shun by a follower of Hades, the lord of the Underworld. This necklace bonded the baby to Hades. No matter where the baby ended up, one day, he would find his way to Lord Hades because he belonged to Lord Hades from the day he was born. I just really loved this little part of the anime. And if you want to know what the necklace looks like, you can Google "Andromeda Shun necklace" and you'll find it, I'm sure.**

**Again, I do not own Kuroshitsuji and characters nor do I own Saint Seiya, but I do own a necklace. X3**

_He clutched the little piece of silver in his hand. He had been saving money for three years now, all in the hopes of buying this necklace for Nikki._

_He loved Nikki, more than anything in the world, but he could never actually voice it. He just wasn't that type of person._

_So instead, he worked hard for three years and, now, he had the perfect present to show Nikki just how much he loved him._

_He held the silver necklace in his hand. A beautiful five point star surrounded in a circle, and inside the star, an intricate design. But what he loved about the necklace were the words that were delicately engraved in it. _

"_Yours Ever" _

_Two simple words that would prove to Nikki that he loved him because, in truth, Nikki was his, and he was Nikki's._

_Everything around him went black. All he could see was the necklace, sparkling in a nonexistent light._

"_Yours Ever"_

"_Yours Ever"_

"_Louie, it's beautiful!" the voice was so happy. "But I can't accept it. It's far too expensive, Louie."_

_He felt his hands brush away silky brown hair out of the way. He placed the necklace around a slender neck._

"_You will keep it, Nikki, and no buts." He heard himself say._

_The happy, angelic voice giggled. "Okay, Louie. Thank you." He felt arms wrap around him. "I love you, Louie."_

"_Yours Ever"_

_He wanted to see the face of the person with beautiful brown locks, whose voice was so angelic, whom made him feel… different._

_A pentagram and the words "Your Ever"_

"Mr. Sebastian!"

The butler woke up from his sleep. When had he fallen asleep? He didn't remember. Keeping up with the mansion and his master must really be weighing down on the demon.

'Yours Ever, huh?' the butler thought to himself. 'Louie. Nikki. Who are these people?'

There was a persistent knocking at his door.

"Mr. Sebastian! The young lord is getting upset, yes he is!" Meyrin.

"He's awfully pissed off 'cus my breakfast wasn't too his liking!" Bard.

"And I killed the pretty grass!" Finny.

"Mr. Sebastian!" All three of them.

Sebastian looked at his pocket watch. An hour past eight.

Oh no! How could this have happened? He not only slept, he over slept! His duties! No! He failed as a butler!

Quickly getting dressed, he ignored the three servants as they fell down as he pushed them out of the way and literally ran to his master's room.

"Master!"

"Sebastian! You are late!" Ciel was undressed, what looked like a blob of breakfast was untouched, and there was an annoyed expression on his face.

Sebastian bowed. "Please, my Lord. Forgive me. I do not know what came over me."

"It would appear that not even demons are exempt from sleep." Ciel answered with a smirk.

Sebastian gave a small sigh. The master wasn't upset.

"Again, forgive me master." He stood up and began his daily butler routine.

After a few minutes, Ciel spoke, "Sebastian, when Tanaka came to wake me, he handed me a letter from the queen."

"Oh?"

"Apparently, the fiancé of a distant relative of hers disappeared without a trace."

"I see."

"Two nights ago, the man was in critical condition; pneumonia, I believe she said. And suddenly, after a visit from his fiancé, he got better. However, the day before his spontaneous recovery, his fiancé disappeared without a trace. The man claims that he had spoken to her that very morning, but no one reported seeing her since the night prior. The queen wants us to investigate the disappearance of the woman; this is top priority."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Prepare a carriage. We shall go to Undertaker; we need him to keep an eye out on the woman, in case she turns up dead."

"Will this be all, my Lord?" Sebastian asked with a bow.

"Yes. Call for me when the carriage is ready."

At this, Sebastian retreated and went to prepare the carriage.

'Yours Ever and a pentagram.' Sebastian could not get that voice out of his head. He's heard that voice before. 'I wonder… is this a memory of the past?'

…

It was a peaceful day at the office. It was too peaceful, that William was getting paranoid.

Where the hell was that redhead?

"Wiiiiiiiiiiiill!~" Ahh, there he was.

A bundle of red ran into his office and threw itself on Will almost causing both bodies to fall of the chair.

"Honestly, Sutcliff. Do behave yourself. It is far too early to deal with…you." Will said as he pushed Grell away from him. "Do your work."

"But Will! I am trying to do my work, but my ledger is being all stupid!" Grell pouted as he pulled out his ledger. "Look." He opened the ledger and ran his finger to the cause of the problem.

"What is it?" William asked as he stared at the ledger three inches from his face.

"This name, it appeared two nights ago, and as I was going to reap it, it disappeared." He pulled the ledger back and scrolled his finger further down the page before stopping it and placing the book back on William's face. "Then, this name appeared on its place, but when I went to go reap her, she wasn't where the ledger said she'd be. And there's no record of her soul being collected anywhere; I looked. And then, the first name keeps appearing and disappearing at random dates!"

"What do you want me to do? Those souls are your responsibility."

"But Will~!" Grell pulled the book back and read a few sentences. "It says a demon was involved! Will!"

"Grell, be quiet." William was trying hard not to raise his voice. "Look, go speak to the Undertaker; he should know how to handle…you."

Grell gave an exaggerated gasp. "Will-"

"Go Grell."

Grell pouted and made his way to the door.

"Grell, if a demon is involved, to get your monstrous scythe. I'll lift the ban for this case."

Grell flashed him his Cheshire cat smile. "Will, you care about me!" He exclaimed with a giggle and a wiggle.

"We are understaffed. I don't want to work overtime because of you."

"Oh, Will, trying to pretend you don't care. That's what I love about you." Grell blew him a kiss and ran out the door. His precious scythe was waiting for him!

…

Undertaker sat in his coffin eating his bone shaped cookies.

"Ehehehe. This will be interesting." He said as he took a bite out of his cookie.


	3. Chapter 3

Grell burst through the doors of the funeral home.

"Undertaker~!" Nothing but silence replied Grell's call.

Grell pouted. Undertaker was nowhere to be found.

"I don't want to play hide-and-seek today!" Grell teased as he opened the lid of the first coffin.

"Huh. Not in this one." He went to the other one. "Hmm. This one neither." He looked through four more coffins, shrieking when he was greeted with the empty stare of an old woman whom appeared to be stuffed.

"Well, I feel like an idiot. Talking to myself all this time and Undertaker really isn't here." Grell mused as he sat down on top of a closed coffin.

"Boo!" Undertaker shrieked coming out from behind thick black curtains.

Grell shrieked and jumped off the coffin causing him to land on his ass before crawling under the dissection table to hide.

"Ehehehehehehehe!" Undertaker's crackle filled the room. He banged his fists on a coffin lid as he laughed absorbing the stupidity of the redhead. "Did…I frighten… the p-ppooor lady?" He asked between cackles.

Grell came out from under the table blushing at his reaction.

"That wasn't funny!" He defended himself. "A proper gentleman should never scare a lady!"

After he composed himself, Undertaker replied, "A proper lady would not barge into the home of a humble gentleman."

"Silence!" Grell pouted.

After another fit of laughter, Undertaker finally calmed down.

"What is a pretty lady such as yourself doing in my humble establishment?" Undertaker asked with feigned curiosity.

He was already well aware of what had brought Grell to him. It was the same reason as to why Mr. Butler and the Young Earl would be arriving in less than six minutes. But, being a sucker for a good laugh and a good story, he had long ago decided to just sit back and enjoy whatever would happen.

He motioned Grell to sit next to him and the younger reaper started telling him the case he was unofficially assigned.

…

Sebastian had just pulled up in front of Undertaker's place when the shinigami's laughter filled the streets.

It would appear someone was already drilling him for information, concluded Sebastian as he walked around the carriage to help his little master out.

"I do hope his goes fast. Undertaker is rather… odd." The Young Earl's faces turned a sickly shade of blue as they neared the funeral home.

"Yes. This unfortunate set back will delay us of your studies, master." Sebastian replied with a twinge of sadness; he so did love punctuality.

Sebastian gave the door a gentle knock before he was answered by Undertaker. At least, he assumed it was Undertaker. The voice sounded like Grell's that one time he _cosplayed _as Undertaker. With a shudder, Sebastian opened the door for his little master.

When he walked in, the sight took him aback, to say the least. Grell stood behind a sitting Undertaker combing his hair, only, Undertaker's hair was now black, instead of silver, and he was dressed in a grey suit, his eyes framed by silver glasses and a expression of distress, frustration and resignation written on his face.

But, if he had to be honest, it wasn't Undertaker's drastic change in appearance that shook his spine to the core. No. It was Grell. Grell was in his 'human' form with his golden brown locks held together by a red ribbon. He'd seen Grell like this back when he was still Madame Red's butler, but now, realization had struck Sebastian.

It was the same hair, so beautiful and soft, from the man in his dreams. It was the same hair as _Nikki._

Sebastian mentally scolded himself. There was no way…

"Welcome Earl, Mr. Butler." Undertaker welcomed his guests with an uncharacteristic frown.

"Sebas-chan!" Grell blew him a kiss, almost hitting his own nose with the comb in the process.

Undertaker snickered at Grell's clumsiness, but was silenced when Grell pulled on his darkened locks.

"What the hell is this?" Ciel asked in annoyance of seeing Grell and curiosity as to why Undertaker's hair was black.

"Curious are we, my Lord?" Undertaker teased as he motioned for the new arrivals to take a seat on a coffin.

"No."

Undertaker gave a soft giggle under his breath as Grell continued to comb his hair.

"Fine; so what brings you two here? Nothing good, I hope."

"We need some information."

"You know the price, so give it to me." Undertaker chuckled.

"Sebastian." Ciel commanded his butler.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Wait." Undertaker halted Sebastian raising his hand to him. "I want tea. Do you want tea?" He motioned to Ciel whom reluctantly nodded yes. Undertaker smiled mockingly as he locked eyes with Sebastian. They held their gaze for what seemed like eternity before Undertaker turned back to Grell and said, "_Nikki_, be a dear and make us tea."

Sebastian's body trembled; his face expressionless but his eyes wide in shock.

_Nikki._

Why did Undertaker call Grell, _Nikki_?

Undertaker turned to look at Sebastian. The demon's expression was priceless. He immediately burst out laughing. So maybe he lied to himself about just sitting back and relaxing.

"Why do I have too?" Grell whined.

"Because I said so dear, now go." Undertaker shooed Grell into the kitchen.

"Fine. Sebas-chan! Be a darling and help me yes?" Grell flashed him his Cheshire grin. It didn't really have the same effect with him in his human form.

Sebastian's eyes followed Grell before nodding and following Grell into the kitchen.

**Cliff-hanger maybe? Dun Dun Duuuunnn**

**Stay tuned ^u^**


	4. Chapter 4

Sebastian followed Grell into the small kitchen. The funeral home was silent save for a few giggle outbursts from Undertaker. What caused the man such amusement was beyond Sebastian, but he didn't dwell too much thought on it. It was Undertaker, after all.

His mind was preoccupied with Grell, more specifically, his hair. It looked just like Nikki's…

But why was it affecting him so? Who was Nikki to him? Why did he feel like he should know the burnet man from his dreams, like they were close…?

"Bassy… Bassy… Bassy…" Grell had started poking the butler's side.

"Huh? What is it Grell?" Sebastian was broken from his thoughts at turned to look at the smaller man.

_That hair…_

Grell didn't need to answer for at that very moment the pot of water started to pour over.

"Gah."

"My, Bassy, what's gotten you so distracted, hmm?" Grell stood behind Sebastian resting his arms on his shoulders. "My lovely woman charm?"

"Hardly." Sebastian frowned. "Forgive me for asking, by why are you and Undertaker in such a manner?"

"Oh, that." Grell asked as he looked for the honey and tea. "My darling Will gave me a case." He handed Sebastian the tea. Sebastian felt his brow twitch at the mention of _darling Will._ "A demon is involved, so I came to ask Undertaker for help."

"Undertaker does not seem to be the type to go incognito for an investigation." Sebastian stirred the tea.

"That's what I thought." Grell began looking for tea cups. "But when I asked him all he did was laugh and say 'I want front row seats'." Finding no tea cups, Grell opted for beakers.

"Wash them." He stared awkwardly at the beakers. "And front row seats? For what? And you? On a case? I can almost whiff failure."

Grell pouted and placed his arms at his hips. "Hey, Bassy! That is no way to treat a lady. Anyway, he insisted I use this human form, you know, so I'd 'blend in'. I said I'd do it, if he used his; that's why he looks like that. Kind of sexy, huh?" He nudged Sebastian, wiggling his brows to which Sebastian just rolled his eyes. "Then, he gave me a strange request."

"What was it?"

"He told me to pick a different name for our undercover case." Grell stated dramatically.

"And?" Both had started walking towards the main room.

"I was going to say something along Flora, but my lips moved on their own accord and I answered 'Nikki'." At this, Sebastian's eyes shot open. Grell named himself that? Why? "Then, he burst out laughing, though he was annoyed to have his clothing and hear changed, not to mention wearing glasses again after so long. But anyways, a few minutes later, you and the little brat walked in."

"I see."

Sebastian served his young master tea and Grell served some for himself and Undertaker.

"So, Little Earl, Mr. Butler, what is it that you want to know?" Undertaker asked taking a sip of his tea.

"Two nights ago, Charisma Rolland disappeared." Ciel started to explain.

"Charisma Rolland?" Grell asked. "That sounds familiar." He took out his ledger and turned to the page he'd shown William earlier. "Ah… no, she's dead."

"Dead?"

"Yes. Says so right here." Grell beamed as he pointed to his ledger and allowed Sebastian to see. "Though, I can't find her soul anywhere. And, since a demon is involved, I'm going after it."

"Is that so?" Ciel asked. He was rather irritated. So, not only was the woman he was supposed to find apparently dead, but a demon had taken her soul.

"Ehehehe. Seems like we are investigating the same case."

"I hardly see a case worth investigating." Sebastian said. "Given the information Grell has given us, and the information we already knew, it could be safe for us to conclude that Mrs. Rolland made a contract with a demon to save the life of her fiancé, Mr. Gerald Winterprice. Wouldn't you agree, Master?"

"It would appear so."

"Gerald Winterprice?" Grell sounded perplexed once again. "That man... His name appeared two nights ago. I was on my way to reap him, but then his name disappeared. The name of Charisma Rolland appeared in his stead. And like I said, her soul is missing."

"That is only further proof that there is no case here." Ciel concluded.

"Yes, but the name of Gerald Winterprice keeps appearing and disappearing from my ledger, always a different time of death."

"Sebastian, in the letter, the Queen had stated that Mr. Winterprice was adamant about having seen Mrs. Rolland the day after her alleged disappearance, however, Grell says she was dead since the night prior. If what Mr. Winterprice says is correct, Mrs. Rolland _had_ to have been alive." Ciel took a deep breath and was about to continue, but his butler continued for him.

"And since Grell says her soul is unaccounted for, could it be that the demon was posing as her? Or that the demon is in possession of her soul?"

"Or maybe," Undertaker's voice was low, eerie and calm, "the demon was lonely and wanted Mrs. Rolland as a companion, thus turning her into a demon?" Everyone stared at Undertaker, contemplating what he'd said. "Ehehehehehe! That's just silly, isn't it?"

Undertaker's theory sent shivers down Sebastian's back. The old reaper knew more than he was letting on.

"Whatever the case, the Queen has ordered me to investigate Mrs. Rolland's disappearance, or, to at least find evidence of her death so that Mr. Winterprice could be put to rest." Ciel stood from the coffin. "Sebastian, since I know these two idiots-"

"You little prick!" Grell interrupted angrily. Undertaker just grinned at the insult.

"Since these two shinigami will most likely get in the way if left to their own devices, I order you, Sebastian Michaelis, to accompany them on this investigation and assist them to the best of your abilities."

With a bow and glowing red eyes, Sebastian replied, "Yes, my Lord."

Grell squealed. He'd get to spend this whole investigation with his Sebas-chan.

As for Undertaker, he quietly took a sip of his tea. The brim of the beaker hide the long grin of his lips. And the glare of the glasses, hide the mischief in his eyes.

Two loves. Two enemies. One a reaper. One a demon. One, unknowingly holding onto a dying promise. The other, remembering fragments of a distant life. How could this not be fun?


End file.
